Village’s final pub saved from closure and saved alive by volunteers pulling pints
A village’s last remaining pub has been saved from closure and kept alive – by volunteers pouring the pints. Locals in East Harptree, Somerset, cobbled together and bought the Waldergrave when it was earmarked for closure in 2024.
And now a group of volunteers – including former world champion triathlete Chrissie Wellington – are running the boozer as a community asset after their previous tenant left.
Lead organiser Chris Kay said: “There is a feel-good factor here. The pub is at the centre of the village and that’s what makes our village special. I moved here eight years ago, but my grandparents lived here, so I’ve been going to the pub my entire life.
“It’s really important to me. One guy who drinks in there, his parents were the landlords so he grew up in the pub and he still drinks there. There are elderly people that drink in there, it’s the meeting hub for people.
“At a time when there’s two or three pubs shutting a week, we need to preserve things like this.”
Chris is part of a 10-person committee of volunteers that oversee the management of the pub. He says there are at least 20 others who offer their time to help with marketing and duties including shifts behind the bar to help out their full-time staff when needed.
The team saved their pub, nicknamed ‘the Waldy’, in May 2024 by raising £200,000 bought by selling shares to 342 shareholders and successfully applying for a £250,000 Community Ownership Fund (COF) grant from the government.
They bought the boozer from pub chain Admiral after arguing to the local council that is was an asset of community value and spent few months making renovations.
After the previous tenant’s lease ended in April, villagers have again stepped in to keep the doors open while they work on long-term plans for the future of the pub, which is open from Wednesday until Sunday each week.
Married dad-of-three Chris, who runs a physiotherapy company, added: “It’s been a learning experience. We have a lot of business experience between us, but not in the pub industry.
“But we’re community-led and we know what the community wants. We put live music on, we have quizzes, we have fresh food and affordable options, we’re kid-friendly. We’re showing the World Cup matches and we’ve got a sweepstake.
“The hope is that we keep it in the community, whether that’s a new tenant that’s from the community or more volunteers to keep us going.”
